Vladimir Putin sought to cast Russia as the moral arbiter of the world on Thursday, as he hit out at America's "non-traditional values" and its influence across the world. In an annual state of the nation address, the 61-year-old Russian president said his country did not aspire to be "some kind of superpower". "We do not infringe on anyone's interests, we do not force our patronage on anyone, or try to teach anyone how to live," he said.

His comments amounted to an oblique rebuttal to the growing international movement against Russia's restrictive laws on homosexuality.

From Waaay Out West,

~HLM

__________________

As Serenity walked along the avenue, he saw many Functionaries that he recognized, but he didn’t dare say anything to, salute, or even look at them directly. Any such behavior could be interpreted as sexual harassment by the woman in question, and if a complaint were filed against him—well, that could mean weeks or months in a Rehabilitation Center.